Signs Your Relationship with Food is Unhealthy + How to Heal

Signs Your Relationship With Food Is Unhealthy + How To Heal

Most people's relationships with food is complex: after all, it’s a complicated thing that nourishes us, whilst also giving us emotional comfort, connection with others, and can determine whether we have a better or worse overall sense of health and wellbeing.

By Liv Surtees / Nov 10, 2023

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The media, and more specifically, the obscene diet culture that encompassed the 90s and 2000s, was incredibly detrimental to a lot of people, meaning that for many of us that sprung into real adulthood over the last few years, we harbour negative relationships with food.

Today, of course, social media is taking the reins and has a lot to be blamed for (or rather the accounts creating the content do) when it comes to perpetuating disordered eating, diet culture, and unhealthy relationships with food.

Even if you think that your relationship with food is pretty good, there might still be some elements to that relationship that are negative or even detrimental to your health and wellbeing.

But don’t panic, this article isn’t here to bring out insecurities or unearth problems. Instead, it’s here to educate you so that you can realise the signs of having an unhealthy relationship with food, and help you heal that relationship if you struggle with it.

So, let’s dive in, start taking back the power, and cultivate a kinder, happier, and healthier relationship with food!

what does it mean to have an unhealthy relationship with food?

Having an unhealthy relationship with food has nothing to do with the quality, type, or calorie count of the food that you’re eating, so let’s start there!

Whilst all the creators of those “drop a dress size in 3 weeks” programmes would be offended by hearing this (and rightly so), the truth is that just because you’re eating a salad, that doesn’t mean you have a healthy relationship with food.

A healthy relationship with food looks like eating that isn’t disordered in any way, being mindful of any behaviours you have surrounding food, and eating in a way that nourishes you and doesn’t encourage any unhealthy habits or responses in the mind.

Essentially, if you have a healthy relationship with food you’re unlikely to actually think about food too much - you definitely won’t be hyper fixated by it. Instead, you will give yourself and your body unconditional love, acceptance and support to nourish yourself and it won’t negatively affect you in any way.

However, when you have an unhealthy relationship with food, you might find that it triggers you, spend an unhealthy amount of time thinking about food, calorie count, restrict, binge, or have any kind of disordered eating, and it may affect your body image, mental health, or physical health.

causes of unhealthy relationship with food

There’s no definitive cause for an unhealthy relationship with food: there are many factors and reasons behind why an individual may have an unhealthy relationship with food.

However, like so many other things, often the relationship you have with food is formed in childhood or adolescence. For example, if you were taught to have an unhealthy relationship with food by those looking after you or you used food as a coping mechanism within your younger years, you’re much more likely to have an unhealthy relationship with food as an adult.

After all, habits are hard to break and having an unhealthy relationship with food is psychological: it can take time, hard work, and support to work through these problems.

Of course, you can also develop an unhealthy relationship with food in your adult life. For example, if you have experienced a traumatic event or loss you may have developed an unhealthy relationship with food, or if you struggle with body image issues you may use food as a sort of control tool.

Additionally, research has shown that eating disorders, just like many other mental illnesses, may actually be influenced by genetics, so some people are more at risk of developing eating disorders.

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signs you may have an unhealthy relationship with food

Unfortunately, many people have an unhealthy relationship with food without even realising it, especially if they don’t openly discuss food with others or if they are seen as being a “healthy” individual.

However, there are certain signs that show you have an unhealthy relationship with food. So, let’s take a look at some of them:

You feel the need to calorie count and keep a log of the things you have eaten.

You categorise foods into “bad” and “good”.

You put certain foods as “off-limits”.

You find yourself overeating when you’re full.

You eat unhealthy small amounts of food.

You have anxiety about eating around other people.

You try different diets regularly.

You have a deeply emotional connection to food.

You use food as a coping mechanism for emotions, especially when you feel emotionally triggered.

You use food to feel more in control.

You think that the food you consume is linked to your self-worth.